darren gersh reports. >> if you are unemployed or worried about keeping your job, the federal reserve today had a clear message for you-- "we're here to help." federal reserve chairman ben bernanke explained the central bank's decision to take the aggressive and innovative step of launching an open-ended program to buy up mortgage securities. the idea bernanke said is to bring down interest rates on mortgages and other loans even further in a bid to shake the economy out of its rut, and make sure high long-term unemployment does not become a permanent feature of the american economy. >> this is a main street policy, because what we're about here is trying to get jobs going. we're trying to create more employment, we're trying to meet our maximum employment mandate, so that's the objective. >> reporter: bernanke and his colleagues may have been slow to get here, but supporters of a bold approach say the fed did what was needed. >> the fed, normally, it's view is to take away the punchbowl as soon as the party gets started. they said, "we're not doing that. we want to get this party sta